Children’s Safety in Tasmanian organisations

Investigators

Assoc Prof Tim Moore, Dr Morag McArthur

Funding source

Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry

Aims

This study aimed to understand how children and young people experience safety in government-run or funded services in Tasmania to inform the work and recommendations of the Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry.

Key findings

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What are children and young people’s most pressing safety concerns?

1. Concerns about safety include bullying, harassment, physical violence and sexual harassment. Children have low confidence in adults and organisations' ability to address these issues effectively.

2. Online victimisation, including sexting, harassment and grooming, is an emerging concern. Young people feel ill-prepared to manage these issues and lack support from adults. They want to work in alliance with adults to find effective strategies to appropriately prevent and respond.

3. Risks related to adults, such as physical and emotional abuse, are identified. Many children lack guidance on how to respond to abuse and report it.

What do children and young people want and need?

1. Children and young people desire education, allies and advocates, and opportunities to raise worries and concerns with trusted adults regarding safety risks.

2. Children who have experienced maltreatment stress the importance of protection and support to heal and recover within institutions.

3. Child-safe systems should prioritise proactive prevention, be responsive to concerns, and reduce systems abuse. Stability, enduring relationships, trauma-informed approaches and collaborative efforts are essential to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.

Publications

Moore, T., & McArthur, M. (2022). Take notice, believe us and act! Exploring the safety of children and young people in government run organisations. Hobart: Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.

Moore, T., McArthur, M. & Fuzz Illustration (2022). [Animation]. Produced for Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry.

Animations and graphics

Animations of report Take notice, believe us and act! based on views of 59 children and young people in Tasmanian government-run public schools, out-of-home care, hospitals and youth detention. Part of Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings.

• Watch What we learned from Tasmanian children (full animation)
• Watch About this study (part 1 of full animation)
• Watch What makes an organisation feel safe for children? (part 2 of full animation)
• Watch What makes an organisation feel unsafe for children? (part 3 of full animation)

Flip book of key messages from children

• What children and young people need from adults to feel safe